Topical clindamycin therapy for acne vulgaris. A cooperative clinical study

Abstract

Eleven institutions participated in an 8 wk controlled clinical study to evaluate treatment of acne vulgaris with topical clinidamycin hydrochloride and clindamycin phosphate. Three hundred fifty-eight patients with comparable baseline pustule, papule and nodule counts applied 1% clindamycin hydrochloride, 1% clindamycin phosphate or a hydroalcoholic vehicle twice daily. Every 2 wk lesions were counted and patients'' evaluations of their acne conditions were scored. By week 8, pustule and papule counts in the groups who were receiving clindamycin were significantly lower than those in the group receiving placebo. More patients who were receiving clindamycin thought their acne improved by week 8 (with significantly higher change-in-acne scores) than did the patients receiving placebo. Patients receiving clindamycin reported 12 episodes of diarrhea; only 1 episode was considered to be treatment related. These results substantiate the clinical impression that topical clindamycin is effective treatment for acne.